In Search of Leadership Challenges¹

1 The author is very grateful to Emeritus Prof. Keith Jackson, the editors, and two anonymous referees for their helpful comments on earlier drafts. I also thank all the interviewees for their assistance in this research.

Abstract

The availability of willing and suitable candidates is an essential ingredient for a successful leadership challenge against the incumbent in the New Zealand Labour Party. However, the search for such individuals is not always easy. Using two recent leadership challenges in 1993 and 1996 as case studies, this paper examines the qualities sought in the challengers by the disgruntled MPs. Although the two cases shared some similarities such as the prominence of the elective concern, the exact content of the desired qualities varied noticeably between them. The leadership challenges were in nature a correctional reaction to the existing crisis the party was in, and the ideal image of the chosen challengers was formed as the antithesis of the incumbent’s problems and weaknesses, as perceived by the selectors.

• Leadership change
• challenger
• New Zealand Labour Party
• selection criteria.

Notes

1 The author is very grateful to Emeritus Prof. Keith Jackson, the editors, and two anonymous referees for their helpful comments on earlier drafts. I also thank all the interviewees for their assistance in this research.